Georgia, Tbilisi / corr. Trend N.Kirtskhalia / The uncle of Irakli Okurashvili, the former Georgian Defence Minister, was beaten up in Tbilisi in the early morning on 11 June. Zurab Giguashvili was kidnapped by 4 unknown men in masks at the door of his house, Eka Beselia, one of the leaders of the 'For United Georgia' Party, which was established by the ex-minister, and his lawyer, told to journalists.
"They took him to the suburbs by car and severely beat him there. They also stole his notebook and mobile phone," she said.
Beselia said that Giguashvili was thrown at this place, and only later he was found and taken to the Georgian Republican Hospital. "He has suffered fracture of several ribs, his face and upper part of his body are injured," she said.
The families of Giguashvili and Beseliya called this fact as an act of "political reprisal" done by the authorities with respect to its political opponents. Giguashvili is a member of the party.
Ten oppositional supporters have been beaten up during the last two weeks. But, none of the cases was revealed.
Currently Okruashvili lives in France, where he has got a political refuge. However, in September, the Paris Court must answer to a request of the Georgian authority about ex-minister's extradition, who was sentenced by the Tbilisi Court to 11-year imprisonment with corruption charges.
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